Thirty-one years ago in Anchorage, Alaska, Victoria Pilz Bannister Muravieff was convicted of murdering her seventeen-year-old son William. The jury returned a quick verdict of guilty, believing the prosecutor's claims that she had set fire to her own home with both her sons inside; William died and the other, Oliver, narrowly escaped. Victoria was sentenced to life in prison without parole, and though she pled not guilty at the trial, she never again denied her guilt. Now her daughter, Charlotte Muravieff, has hired Kate Shugak to clear her mother's name. Her daughter has always believed in her innocence, and now that Victoria has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, Charlotte wants her free. Kate is the only p.i. Charlotte can find who's willing to take such a long-shot case. Kate, on the other hand, is only willing because she's suddenly a single parent to a teenager, a teenager she hopes will decide to go to college. Besides, it can't be bad to do a favor for the Bannister family, one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in Alaska's short history. As Kate begins an investigation, Victoria protests, refusing to cooperate. But soon it seems she isn't the only one who wants to leave the past in the past. In this spell-binding novel, Kate's confrontation with thirty years of secrets and regret-and murder-in one of Alaska's most powerful families shows award-winning crime writer Dana Stabenow at the top of her game. Recently ensconced in a new cabin following the torching of her house--see A Grave Denied [BKL Ag 03]--Kate Shugak receives a visitor: Charlotte Muravieff, from Anchorage. Fashionable Muravieff is in the Alaskan bush to ask Kate to reinvestigate her mother's murder conviction. Kate does just that, and soon people connected with the 30-year-old case start dying. This fourteenth Kate Shugak mystery is among the best in a consistently strong series. Along with the series' typical appealing features--Kate's erotically charged romantic life with Trooper Jim Chopin; delightful character sketches of various residents of the Alaskan bush, including a dog named Mutt; and, of course, the vivid rendering of the Alaskan landscape--Stabenow adds a new element this time: setting the case in Anchorage allows her to portray Kate dealing with life in the city and to consider Alaskan history outside the backcountry. Even with the more urban setting and theme (political corruption drives the plot), this entry will still appeal to fans of outdoor mysteries by Nevada Barr and Sue Henry. John Rowen Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Dana Stabenow, award-winning author of thirteen previous Kate Shugak mysteries, three Liam Campbell mysteries, and three science fiction novels, also writes an acclaimed column for Alaska magazine. She lives in Anchorage, Alaska, where she was born and raised. 1 "I'll get it," Kate said, and fetched the Crisco forthwith. Auntie Vi eyed her. "Your auntie not that old, Katya." "I know, Auntie," Kate said. "But I was closer." She had, in fact, been in the next room at the time, but Auntie Vi, exercising monumental, not to mention unnatural, restraint, forbore to comment. "I can do that," Kate said, taking the scraper out of Old Sam's hand. The Freya was in dry dock, where her hull had been drying out above the high-tide line in preparation for a new coat of copper paint. Old Sam took the scraper back. "I can do it myself." "I know, but I can help," Kate said, reaching for the scraper again. Old Sam warded her off. "Yeah, and the next thing I'll be listening to you whine about getting the goddamn copper paint outta your hair. Now you get outta mine, girl." .... "Give her to me," Kate said, stretching out her arms. Bobbie glared. "I can diaper my own damn daughter!" he bellowed. "What the hell's got into you, Shugak, the Red Cross? Jesus!" Hurt, Kate said, "I just wanted to help." "Well, stop it!" Bobby said. He rolled his chair over to Katya's changing table. Katya stared at Kate over his shoulder, blue eyes blinking at Kate from beneath a corkscrew assortment of black curls. Kate went to stand next to Dinah. "I could dry those dishes for you," she said in a small voice. "You can wash them, dry them, and put them away if you want," Dinah said amiably. Brightening, Kate took the sponge and waded in. "What in hell is going on with that broad?" Bobby demanded of his wife, soul mate, and chosen partner in life when the sound of Kate's truck had faded across the Squaw Candy Creek bridge. "I can't lift a hand in my own goddamn house! For crissake, Dinah, I'm not some cripple!" "I know," Dinah said soothingly. In fact, he was missing both his legs below the knee, souvenir of a land mine in Vietnam, but it wasn't as if it slowed him down much. Or at all. Bobby settled Katya into her crib for her afternoon nap. Katya, infuriatingly, stuck her thumb in her mouth and her butt up in the air, gave a deep, satisfied burp, and promptly fell a